Arcade Headquarters & Places of Interest: What's There Now?

[pookdolie]

Arcade Headquarters & Places of Interest: What's There Now?

I thought this might be a fun list to start, but need a lot of input to make sure stuff is accurate...

 

[pookdolie]

Okay, so, first one:

I believe this is the former HQ for Bally / Midway. Can anyone confirm?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...+Franklin+Park,+Cook,+Illinois+60131&t=h&z=15

 

[jbbradley]

Here's some info on what's at the old Centuri factory in Hialeah, Florida.....it's apparently a company called Steer-tech...so either they made high tech gadgets for cows or they're in the steering wheel market. Either way, pretty far away from what used to be made there:

http://www.centuri.net/home.htm

 

[pookdolie]

Here's another "what's there now" classic gaming place-of-interest:

(Source: Snuggerychicago.com)

The Snuggery is a bar in Chicago that's still in operation.

It was the test location for Bally/Midway's Tapper.

 

[jscott]

Thas cool. wonder if they have a Tapper there.

Here's another "what's there now" classic gaming place-of-interest:


The Snuggery is a bar in Chicago that's still in operation.

It was the test location for Bally/Midway's Tapper.

 

[pookdolie]

Rooster T. Feather's Comedy Club in Sunnyvale, CA. Formerly Andy Capp's - test location of first commercial Pong unit.

(They *very* recently updated their website to include their Pong history.)

 

[pookdolie]

Now for another location pivotal to arcade history:

This morning, I decided to punch the defunct address for Entertainment Sciences into my GPS and take a drive. This was the company which produced the arcade games Turbo Sub and Bouncer (though Bouncer never made wide-scale production). This is a good web site for some background on them: http://www.turbosub.com/

I got the Santa Ana address off the Turbo Sub flyer scan that's online. I'd also read that Entertainment Sciences had a location in Huntington Beach, but it was confusing as to whether or not this was an office, or just a spot in H.B. where they put a game on location. So, I didn't know what I'd find in Santa Ana.

This is what I found:

Fun to think that, in all likelihood, two of the grails of our hobby were born inside this office…

I was expecting that, if this were the all-in-one location for Entertainment Sciences back in the day, they probably would've needed a storage area for the games. So, I drove around back…

This may very well be where a bunch of Turbo Sub cabinets and Bouncer parts left for their eventual journey to a Louisiana warehouse (at least, the stuff that didn't end up in a landfill…)

 

[pookdolie]

Address found on the flyers for Williams Defender, Robotron, and...well, the modern logo on the building should be a clue.

(Source: Google Maps)

 

[RedWolfJC]

Address found on the flyers for Williams Defender, Robotron, and...well, the modern logo on the building should be a clue.

(Source: Google Maps)

Heh, the "warranty" card for my Blitz 99 goes to that address too... guess I could still send it in then, after all "failure to return the card may affect product warranty"

 

[pookdolie]

Do you like dogs?

Well, these friends to hounds seem to share an address with a defunct company:

(Sources: I Love Dogs, Inc. and the Arcade Flyer Archive)

 

[RedWolfJC]

Here's another...

10750 Grand Avenue- Franklin Park IL

Apparently now the location of Larry Roesch One Call Parts...

 

[pookdolie]

Awesome - keep `em coming!

This one:

...was, according to their flyers, the American home to games like LadyBug and Mr. Do!

(Source: Google Maps)

 

[pookdolie]

Here's a new one. This building just came up as being available for lease:

It also happens to be the former home of Pacific Novelty, Inc. - the birthplace of Shark Attack and Thief.

 

[Phetishboy]

Here's a new one. This building just came up as being available for lease:

It also happens to be the former home of Pacific Novelty, Inc. - the birthplace of Shark Attack and Thief.

See if they have any unmolested cabs lying around. I could also use a few pieces of original side art for Shark Attack. I sent mine to Rich 2 years ago and haven't seen it since.

 

[pookdolie]

See if they have any unmolested cabs lying around.

I didn't actually drive up there. Just found the picture online.

I think I read that it was an art studio for awhile. My guess is anything video-game related is long gone...

 

[Schusler]

I don't have a any pics but I bought a pin from a guy last year that live a block down from the old Williams factory off California Ave....

On side note, I don't live to far off from the old Capcom facilities... I'll have to take pictures!

Anyone have one of Taito's buildings?

 

[pookdolie]

Okay...this HAS to be a joke. Or is it?

First, the address at the bottom of a Cinematronics Boxing Bugs flyer...

The building is now occupied by Chem-Tronics (hmm, similar, huh?) Here's an overhead view:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&b...ship drive el cajon&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

 

[lutus]

HA! Conspiracy Theory? Billy always has a plan.

 

[noice87]

Maybe he was too cheap to replace the sign so he just replaced the "IE" with a "H".

 

[pookdolie]

HA! Conspiracy Theory? Billy always has a plan.

*chuckle*

Seriously, it's pretty funny!

Maybe he was too cheap to replace the sign so he just replaced the "IE" with a "H".

Ya got some more letters you need to account for there, noice...